Enchantress
by lunarmirage
Summary: Centuries have passed since the Creation of all Worlds and turmoil is afoot in Spira as the formation of a deadly enemy arises, in which a group of heroes must come together. Story takes place before Tidus and Yuna appeared... Or so it seems at first.
1. Prelude

It was cold, and dark. Sinister and somber, the young woman with her pale skin, ebony hair, doe-eyes and thick lips upon a voluptuous body, ivory in color, began to feel the darkness seep within her veins and very core. Shivering, she glanced at all sides around her. She squinted, trying to make sense of her surroundings but feeling nervous as the arid fog consumed the remaining light of dusk. Gripping the folds of her velvet, dark violet dress, Marianna began to walk.

_I know that he's somewhere... _

One step. Two steps. Her heart was beating with every advancement, skipping here and there from the nerves.

_His taste... Lingers..._

The kiss from her betrothed, from her beloved was upon her doll-like lips, lingering like the taste of salted caramel covered with cream.

She was not immortal. Nor was she of royal descent, although her name would make one assume as such. Marianna's heart pounded upon her chest as she continued to snake her way through the mist to reach her destination. The darkness opened up the remaining senses in her soul to compensate for the lack of sight. Each breath took in the sharp taste of dry nighttime air, skin prickling as the mist made it's way across her bare arms and shoulders.

_I can almost feel him._

Her body nearly froze as she saw in front of her, the man she was to see.

"Auron."

That all-too familiar scar and gaze made it's way across her eyes. The man before her had literally, before seconds of thinking of him, made the fog disappear in seconds through some force of magic to now have the vast landscape clear. Pale colored sand dunes as far as the naked eye could see was what made up the landscape, embellished by starlight and the clear nighttime sky. Time seemed almost endless as the two made their meeting in silence.

"I... Never got the chance to say goodbye... That one night." The elven beauty's voice subsided as her head tilted downwards, as if embarrassed to look into the stern man's face. No words were returned, in which the young woman closed her eyes. Still nothing was returned after a while of waiting.

_Hm. What to expect, from a man so silent as himsel-_

"Destiny calls."

The loud noise which was to nearly knock her over, trembling, shocked her more than the near blinding light which followed as the tall, older man, cloaked in a blood-red garment with armor entered into a vortex and disappeared almost as quickly as Marianna had found him.

The fog returned shortly thereafter. Still shaken, the raven haired female did her best to regain her ground. A smirk was what managed to make it's way towards her lips.

"Destiny... Calls?" Taking a deep breath, her hand made it's way across her clavicles to a pocket right near her right shoulder. Inside was what appeared to be a silver pen. Pushing it, the fog disappeared all in a matter of two seconds, the landscape returning to it's eerie emptiness. Her eyes made it's way upwards to the sky, darting to a red star. A crooked smile returned. "No, Auron. _I_ called Destiny."

~************************************ END OF PRELUDE *************************************~

Stay tuned for Chapter 1... Uploaded very shortly.


	2. Chapter 1: The Encounter

_Time. An enigma so enduring, an object which we must correspond to on a daily basis. Despite the overwhelming odds, we are drawn further and further away from what we once used to chase after so diligently, until all of a sudden it's shattered and torn apart. We become so engrossed in the desire, so fulfilled and quenched by the thirst of running away from time, the very thing which plagues us... And what we so very much lust after._

It was cold, and windy. Not a sight to be seen from miles away, despite the arid landscape with the occasional tumbleweed to keep you company. Sand dunes would gently play along with the rhythm of the wind and the tossing of it's breath. What seemed to be the only landmark in sight, was a jeweled sword set firmly on the ground.

In the far distance, near the horizon, a caravan-like vehicle began to inch it's way forward, fighting against the vast desert sands. A horse with a coat of hazelnut fur was all the source of power of the caravan, led by a burly man in a thick, beige, fur-trimmed coat.

Holding onto the reigns of the horse, he cracked a black whip held by his left hand, the horse then neighing loudly and increasing it's speed and momentum.

"Carl, be careful there! These winds can knock the poor horse down!"

The horseman quickly turned his head around towards the rugged, booming voice which was hidden behind a violet curtain. A toothy grin came across his face, "Lass, this horse be strong and sturdy. If ye be wantin' a diffrent driver, aye suggest you leave me now, with ye havin' no place to go."

A brawny, deeply tanned man dressed in a red bandana, loose black garment and rough, maroon pants came out of the caravan's insides. His bright-green eyes, almost supernatural in color seemed to twinkle as a smile came across his face filled with black stubble. His long, wavy, ebony hair contrasted perfectly with the color of his eyes, swaying to the melody of the wind. "I digress, good sir. Do as you please." A long, hearty laugh ended right after his statement. Carl, the horseman, grinned again and turned around, continuing his job.

Inside the caravan, a group of two extra men and a woman, were huddled around a heating device, wrapped around thick blankets. Dimly let, you could see the shadows exaggerated on the sides of the walls, as well as the ceiling. An eerie feeling came across the group of every individual which appeared to be in their late twenties, excluding the green-eyed man, who was no older than twenty-three.

"Simran, how much longer do you think it will take to reach our destination?"

The green-eyed male turned to look over at one of the other men. He was a blonde, clean shaven with rough features and dark blue eyes. His attire consisted of a gray costume, olive vest, military boots, and compartments filled with extra weapons clothing his tall, fit and agile body. He slightly nodded, as if to repeat the question again.

Simran looked right at the blonde, his long hair falling a bit across his shoulders. "Not much longer... I can feel it."

"Ah, Simran... Practicing your necromancy now, are you?"

Simran turned to look over at the female. He blinked. Shirina was an interesting character. Despite being the only female of the group of four, she was quite possibly the most aggressive, opinionated, and athletically capable of the group, in addition to not knowing any of the traditional roles which a woman must do, including cooking and cleaning. Her red lips curved upwards, and brown eyes glittering, as if teasing the younger male. Simran's head fell a bit, and came up to look her in the eye.

"Shirina... Your sense of humor is amusing, yes, but remember that the difference between necromancy and summoning... It's very different."

"Ah! I concur. Of course..." Her fiery red-gold hair whipping upwards quickly as she drew out her weapon, a steel and sharp-bladed sword, facing it towards the younger male, "I would like to see our enemies see how they can possibly go against such capable warriors as all of us are."

Simran smiled, "Yes, well, I can't compare to Rahesh's powers!"

"Hmph. You're silly, boy."

The man which Simran spoke to was silently reading a book placed upon his lap. He was the oldest of the group, and carried an air of dignity upon him which was so easy to read. Wearing a dark violet robe wrapped around his slim body, his appearance was very striking. He was bald, and his skin was dark, but not as dark as Simran's, with a pair of bright, violet eyes. In between his forehead, he had an intricate light-blue tattoo with a symbol that resembled a circle inside a triangle. Solomon's Triangle, he called it. Not to be tampered with.

"Rahesh is too humble. What do you expect from our Wizard Monk from Tringo?"

"Ah, Tristan. Always sticking up for the underdog." Shirina lay down and took out a gold amulet, beginning to throw it up in the air and catch it with her left hand.

The blonde smirked, and quickly snatched the amulet from Shirina, who he was sitting by. "It is my duty as a warrior of Croandar, of course."

The group continued on their talks until suddenly, the caravan jolted, shocking them upwards. The light from their heating device quickly went out, and they were in near-total darkness.

"_Me no ra da so ma ti da."_

A glow came near Rahesh, and a small flame came above his right hand. With light in the room, the group remained silent, signaling each other to exit the caravan.

Led by Tristan, the group exited the caravan to the desert which was dimly lit by what appeared to be a crescent moon in a rusty orange sky. They dared not leave the sight too far.

Rahesh breathed deeply in, exhaling deeply out. He opened his striking colored eyes, "That moon is not a moon. It's a sun nearly being extinguished..." The group began to follow Rahesh as he would do signals with his hands, snaking farther and farther away from the caravan. Five minutes seemed to pass, leading onto ten, then fifteen. The others began to get tense and worried. Shirina began to open up her mouth.

"Rahesh... What do you mean exting-"

"HE'S HERE..."

A mighty glow came across Rahesh. The already furious winds began to grow stronger as a roaring crackle of sound hit their ears, almost becoming too painful to bear.

"EVERYONE... HOLD... ON..." Simran began to spin his right arm around, and around, and around, as if releasing some sort of energy out into the open air. For a moment, it seemed as if his output was far greater than the storm's might.

"I SUMMON YOU, BAHAM-"

**No.**

The whole group's backs began to shiver.

There was someone near them, and they didn't know who. The voice was that of a man, echoing across their minds. There was no one near them. Simran's summoning, the calling of a being called an Aeon, stopped as he was left with chills that increased nearly every second. There was a powerful _thing_ near them, invisible, and they seemed to be left helpless and powerless under their own spell.

Seconds passed. Minutes. What seemed to be an eternity as they almost stood there as if paralyzed, waiting to see what would happen. All of a sudden, in the near distance, an object began to glow.

"What... Wait..." Shirina's voice was soft, "It's... A _sword_..."

The object's glow grew larger and more luminous, where out from it emerged a majestic, large sword, covered in blood-red jewels and diamonds. It was possibly the most beautiful weapons which they had ever set their sights upon.

In awe, they were left mesmerized. As if in a trance, a being began to emerge from out of the light, and come walking to them. Who it was, though, shocked Simran more than anyone.

"No... It... Cannot be...!"

The whole group turned towards their youngest companion, whipping their heads to look at the shocked expression on his face.

Inching closer and closer to the group was a tall man, of an extremely strong and built physique, wearing a red cloak and carrying an enormous sword.

Simran stood frozen as the man came closer to them. "How... How... Is this possible...?"

The man was now six inches away from Simran. His short, black hair spiked up, and moved gently with the still-howling wind. The major distinction which he had, though, was a scar across one of his eyes. It's almost as if the weather conditions were not affecting him at all.

"Auron."


	3. Chapter 2: Reminiscence

**Chapter 2**

**Reminiscence**

_It began, a long time ago. Far before what many could have expected. Far before Dream Zanarkand, far before Spira, far before the heroes who saved the realm from Sin. Even before, Yuna and Tidus' predecessors. No... It began... Before then. _

"Auron."

The strong man's gesture was solid, his gaze hazy and stern. Shirina, Tristan, and Rahesh were silently in awe at the man who appeared before them from a light, with a deadly weapon, and a garment not quite like their time. Simran was still frozen, the others not quite sure what to do, or what to expect.

Shaking his head as if awakening from a deep slumber, Tristan remembered about their caravan. He whipped around to check on it, only to find that it, along with their horseman, was gone. Completely gone from whatever supernatural occurrence had come upon them. Shirina's face tilted a bit towards him. Reading the expression on her eyes, Tristan could tell that she was most definitely not comfortable in the presence of the mysterious man, who's name was apparently Auron, according to Simran.

The glow which surrounded Mahesh went away, subsiding to his natural skin tone. Breathing deeply, the mage began to recover from his exertion. Magic was definitely an enormous amount of work, and somehow, despite the mystery which surrounded the man, Auron, he felt a bit at ease around him. He could tell that he wasn't a man of evil. But what was even more pertinent was the astonishing sense of guardianship which surrounded him.

"Auron..."

Auron's head remained straight, not looking down at all. He quickly glanced over at each of the younger people, then back to Simran. Auron nodded.

Simran's ears had been tingling the entire time, ever since the moment Mahesh had mentioned the extinguished sun in the desert sky. The sounds which he was hearing were extremely beautiful... Melodic, melancholy, harmonious, and full of mystery. He had never heard them before. Shaking his head ever so slightly, he began to recover from his reverie.

"I have come to warn you all."

Their eyes immediately darted to Auron's face. His voice was exactly like his appearance; stern, mysterious, and of few words.

"Warn us, have you?" Shirina forcefully approached the man, both in fear and anger, in which Tristan tightly held onto her arm. She jolted her head towards him, grinding her teeth and fuming.

_Fuck him. Little bastard was always stronger than me. Heh._

Shirina pushed his arm away and stood back. Auron's facial expression remained unmoved, his eyes the only source of emotion. They made their way across Shirina's eyes, as if amused.

"Auron. Why are you here? Why have you come here, in a flash of light?"

Simran's face darted up at him, his robust physique tightening up and seeming stronger than it already was. The rest of the group stood there, with a thousand questions regarding the two's connections. Mahesh, calm and composed, raised his voice for the first time.

"Most importantly, sir... Auron. Where do you come from?" His purple eyes moved to Simran's green ones. "And Simran, if you could please, let us know the connection between you two. I don't think that you have anything to hide from your comrades regarding this issue. So please, tell us. Any of you."

Simran remained dead silent, until he spoke up in a quiet voice.

"It's... A long, long, long story. More than you might think."

"Okay... WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? Why are we stuck in the middle of the desert? All I clearly remember is us following your stupid little ass, Simran, and making our way from my comfortable castle with my dearest noble friends, to search for something like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow! Impossible! And now you, Auron, are expecting me to believe that you're not out to do harm, and simply warn us for the better of our lives as protection? What are you, a baby's guardian angel? You don't look like one." Shirina's spiteful tongue seethed.

"I never said that. All I said is that I have come to warn you all of the dangers to come. Orders from a higher court. And I don't expect you to listen to me. But I suggest that if you would much rather hear about how you can be saved from death, to follow me this instant and listen to what I have to say before the creature running towards us kills you all."

The four quickly turned their heads around to see a gigantic, armadillo-like creature furiously rolling towards them, quicker than they could ever go on a caravan with three horses.

"RUN!"

Shirina was the first one to go, Auron right after her, with the rest of the men taking follow, running to save themselves from early death.

Running on low energy for nearly fifteen minutes, the creature was quickly gaining on them. Panting, the group mustered up all that they could possibly fathom, already exhausted.

"Quick, in here."

Auron dashed inside an opening of a sand dune. Simran without hesitation followed inside, jumping, with Tristan taking the next lead, and Rahesh as well. Shirina was left outside.

"Oh great. Fat, giant armadillo look-a-like, or into a cave of death which I have no idea is safe or not?"

The creature was just about to snatch her with it's teeth before she quickly jumped inside to follow suit.

"Ow!"

Shirina landed on her backside as sand followed suit, ending with a loud _THUD_. Rubbing it, she shakily stood up and tried to make sense of her surroundings. She was a bit taken aback, but she was not the only one who felt that way.

Inside, it was to the group's great astonishment, that it was completely furnished, including a fireplace and a kitchen. Still panting, their eyes began to scan the entire interior. It was brightly lit, with wooden floors, a red sofa, and rooms that continued further onwards, separated by columns and walls. There was even a fan above their heads, with a white ceiling. The only aspect which could allow them to fathom and believe that they had just been chased by an armadillo look-a-like creature was a now blocked entryway near the far top left edge of the lodge-like area.

Auron made his way onwards to the next room, which was more dimly lit, and a bit more spacious. There, he took off his large armor encasings and set aside his samurai sword.

Rahesh sat down on the sofa, flopping over. "I'm exhausted. This day has given me the largest headache in years."

"We're not even half-way done with the day... We still have to figure out where the hell we are," Tristan said. The blonde, with his arms crossed unfolded them, going over to the sofa and loosely letting his arms rest.

"And figure out you all shall," The group turned to look over at Auron, who now snaked his way across over to them. He was wearing a different robe of some sort, still blood-red, and with engravings on the edges of his sleeves. Simran squinted his eyes to take a more detailed look. Once he found out what it said, though, his face immediately began to lose it's color.

_Why... Why is all of this happening all of a sudden? How come the past is being figured out... So quickly?_

Auron glanced over at the young man, peering into his eyes for a second and then turning away. The only one who seemed to not be of much interest at this point was in fact, Shirina.

"Okay pops. You run the shots, we _get_ it. But don't you think that we are deserving of some food and sustenance by now?

"Quiet, maiden. Your spiteful words will one day harm the likes of many if you are not careful. As your older individual who is not more than ten years your senior, I believe that you are to respect myself."

Simran's face was beginning to regain it's color furthermore as the embarrassment began to cross his mind. Shirina was definitely something... A powerful warrior indeed, but quite possibly the most under-disciplined adult he ever knew.

"Well, good sir, I'm much obliged. However, you do know that my sense of respect is quite... Different than yours," The female walked right up to Auron, head looking up, "I expect you to consider my own options."

Auron's face was left unchanged as Rahesh stood up, holding onto Shirina's arms, attempting with slight magic to calm her untouched fury. Much to her dislike, Shirina shoved Rahesh's arms away and made her own way back to the couch. She muttered something indescribable under her breath.

"Please, everyone, sit down. Make yourselves at home. I apologize in advance for the lack of light and lack of comfort, but this was the best that I could find nearby." Auron motioned Simran, the only one not positioned and situated towards the sofa with his right arm. Simran glanced over at the empty seat next to Tristan, and went and sat down. No harm in doing so. Auron glanced downwards, then straight at each of their faces. "This isn't going to take that long, so just bear with me."

Something about his presence, about his rough voice, all combined together in a form of authority and reverence. Everyone couldn't help but simply listen to what the man had to say. The scruff on his jaw continued the whole look. He was simply not a man to mess around with. And, where else could the group have possibly gone to? All they had were themselves, without food and water.

Auron made his way in front of them after a couple strong paces. The blood inside them began to pulse from the wait. They had no idea what was going to happen next, but they were ready.

"It began, a long time ago. Far before what many could have expected. Far before the collapse of heroes, of legends, of dreams. Even before that. We are often told the story of creation in our fairy tales, in our children's tales, books, and bedtime lullabies. One day, out of nothing, the universe just immediately began to expand and within the universe, were planets, and stars. Galaxies, dimensions, and all the like. Planets formed, and the very one in which we are in today was given it's placement along our solar system. The harmony of the universe was in perfect condition and in such pristine beauty that nothing could furthermore affect it. But something happened, as fate would have it. In one of the neighboring galaxies, a planet was forming it's own history, far beyond what was to be expected of the universes and ways of the energy which made up all of the organisms, melodies, and rhythms which came from creation. A catastrophic event occurred in which an epidemic broke out and the beings which resided on the planet perished, never to live again. From the hatred and genocide of all peoples which had occurred, a deadly enemy arose. This, was known as Aemulatio.

Aemulatio destroyed the balance of the negative and positives of the rhythm of the universe and began to fluctuate drastic levels of negative particles to enter within our planets, one of which just so happened to be our very own. It was known that any planet with Aemulatio directly touched would be cursed to have it's citizens fall under global punishment and crisis. Through millennia stretched out through the sands of time, the banishment of yes, in fact, Earth, was destroyed, turning into the remains of the deadly Aemulatio rays.

One by one, each of the planets were extinguished, until every planet was gone... Except for one, small, slight planet which had been nearly forgotten about. This planet was known as Cruxius. Within Cruxius was a powerful Angelic being that had the knowledge and capacity to cease any form of destruction which would cross its path. As Aemulatio began it's extermination, a white light emerged from Cruxius, exploding and releasing a giant supernova power that consumed all of Aemulatio. Something had happened that moment, for all the planets which had been exterminated were released and reformed through the rays of Cruxius, become more revolutionized, more enthralled, and with citizens which seemed almost superhuman, as if belonging to the Gods and Goddesses of our lives.

This point in history was known as the Creation of All Worlds, for the true Creation was formed then at that moment, without any malignant sources of any kind... Or so it seemed.

Centuries passed and more and more development would occur within the planets, especially Earth the planet in which we live on to this day, in such rapid intensity that glimpses of the past destruction of the Universe would be found. Such a revolutionary discovery this was, that many field researchers would then realize that us civilians here residing on his planet does not guarantee the superiority complex of all of us being the only individuals who are capable of intelligent life. But such a haunting discovery was found one day through research, that our resonation was perfectly in tune with another world. We were receiving their vibes simultaneously and signals."

"What planet was that?" All of the four younger adults were standing there with their mouths fully open. They had never heard this alternative of the story of creation. Simran had stood there, wondering the whole time. He couldn't help but truly wonder what it could possibly be, if it still exists or not.

"The planet..." Auron paused, "Is Spira, my home country."

**Alright everyone, thank you for reading chapter 2! A sneak preview of chapter 3: Our heroes escape the arid desert at last, now joined by Auron. A mystic journey will begin along with the history of Simran. It will be at least twice as long as this chapter, if not more... So, stay tuned!**


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